These little beauties can help you keep more of your money—and better manage what you keep.
By Katrina Caruso
Mint (Available for iOS and Android)
This free app has gained popularity for its ability to track all of your spending and expenses across all of your accounts. The app, which can also be used on the web, can automically document all your transactions and payments. You can create budgets and keep track of your spending.
BillTracker (Available for iOS)
BillTracker lets you keep track of all your bill payments and amounts owed in one place. You can set it up so that your phone will receive notifications for upcoming payments. There’s also a calendar view that allows you to see each month’s bills at a glance.
You Need a Budget (Available for iOS and Android)
You Need a Budget, or YNAB, is a sophisticated but simple budgeting tool that can help you to abide by four rules:
- “Give every dollar a job” (plan your spending)
- “Embrace your true expenses” (budget for the unexpected in advance)
- “Roll with the punches” (be flexible; adjust your budget as needed)
- “Age your money” (live on last month’s income)
While YNAB isn’t free ($6.99US a month), it can change how your see your money and help you to improve your saving while cutting back on spending.
Groupon and LivingSocial (Both available for iOS, Android, and Windows)
Want to take a trapeze course or try that new Italian place around the corner? On Groupon and LivingSocial, you’ll be able to find great deals on hotels, restaurants, shopping, spa packages, and more. These apps work by location—you input your hometown or the city to which you’ll be traveling, and the app will show you the local deals (which change frequently).
Compare Bookings (Available for iOS and Android)
Love to travel? Compare Bookings can help you to find and compare the best deals across travel sites (Priceline, Travelocity, Expedia, and more) for hotels and cruises, as well as other travel expenses such as car rentals.
Expensify (Available for iOS and Android, Windows, and Blackberry)
This is a great app for those who often travel for business. Expensify is designed to make it easier to keep all your expenses in one place. Scan receipts and the app will keep track of your spending, and because it stores all the data and works with many office accounting applications, it makes filing expense reports easier.
Photo: iStock/supparsorn.
